O’Sullivan still king of the Crucible

O’Sullivan still king of the Crucible. Snooker legends Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry believe Ronnie O’Sullivan remains the man to beat at the World Championship.

Six-time world champ Davis knows what it takes to reign supreme at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre having been relentless in the 1980s and so too does Henry, who won snooker’s biggest prize on seven occasions in a period of almost total domination in the nineties.

It has been more difficult for any one person to take a stranglehold on the event since, although O’Sullivan has come as close as anyone to doing so with five World Championship titles spread between 2001 and 2013.

The Rocket has also mopped up seven Masters titles and another seven UK Championship crowns with 36 ranking titles the joint-best in history, alongside Hendry.

However, the 44-year-old seems to have lost the fear factor he once enjoyed over his major competitors and has dropped down to number six in the world, occasionally losing his appetite for the sport, particularly in the smaller events.

Judd Trump has taken full advantage to storm to number one in the world, boosted by his demolition job in thrashing John Higgins 18-9 to win a maiden world title last year.

Since then Trump has won six events this season and is level in head-to-heads with the Rocket with 13 wins each from their 26 battles.

Trump has won seven of their ten contested finals, but both Hendry and Davis would prefer to side with the Rocket should they meet again in Sheffield.

“Ronnie’s best always wins,” said Davis to Hendry when they spoke on Instagram. “It’s tough to oppose him.”

Hendry added: “Judd’s game has got so strong metally and his matchplay has improved, but you just have to favour Ronnie slightly if they are both at their best.”

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